2012 Kia Optima complaints

MDPS Flex Coupling for steering needs replacement. Not covered by the 10 year warranty because it was 6 months late

Delamination of the white pearl paint.

I took my car in for the air bag recall in 2018. When I picked up my car the air bag light was on. I called the Kia service line and they told me the light should go off on its on. So I drove home. I drove to work and back home and the light was still on. So I called the Kia service again and they told me to bring in the vehicle which I did. They checked and told me that they had no way of turning off the light. So I just drove home thinking everything was ok. Fast forward 2022, I had a seperate problem that forced me to take my car back to the kia service shop. They checked things in my car and I was shocked to learn that my air bag would not work in case I was in an accident. I told them this light has been on since after they did the air bag recall work but I did not feel supported here. the price tag to fix it is $1470.65. I feel that I am being treated wrong here because their initial work caused this light to turn on and they told me it was not related but now this vehicle check says it is a big concern if it is not fixed. I drive my three children to school in this vehicle. I am afraid for them and myself. I don't know what to do. This was part of the air bag recall and they caused this light to turn on and they need to fix it for me.

The speedometer quits working, the car will not shift into gear after parked and turned off, all the dash lights come on. You have to hit the reset button on the gear shift to get the car to do anything.

I was driving my 2012 dia optima approximately 55 mph and without warning the engine died killing power to steering and brakes.....tried starting it back up heard the fuel pump kick on good ground all the basics then I began to google possible issues and saw there were serious engine issues where the car either spews high pressure gas and potentially catches fire or bearing wear where the engine will shut off without warning.....I typed vin in said my vehicle was part of the theta II GDI engine recall so I called the 800 number where they told me that there were 2 recalls that needed to be done "before" the engine fails and that my vehicle had only had one of the two so I would have to pay to have it towed (315$) to local dealership to have diagnosed and tech line opened. I dropped it off on Saturday the 28th of may and was told due to holiday weekend it would be Tuesday the 2nd they would call well finally yesterday june 15th they finally called and the fella told us it wasn't covered and it would cost 8000$ for them to put an engine in or I could sell it to them for 300 or 400$. I called corporate immediately after speaking with ole dude the lady asked what the diagnostic came up with because my car is covered under lifetime warranty for the bearing issue in fact and doesn't matter about the fuel issue. She seems to think that he never even put on diagnostic machine she tried calling him 4 times from headquarters and was ignored each time. They never tried contacting me whi

My engine seized up while driving with no warning or prior issues. My safety was put at risk because this happen while I was driving down a public road and could have gotten into an accident due to the cars malfunction. Kia has inspected the car but has refused to reimburse me for their engine failure although they had recall campaign for my model vehicle and other models of Kia vehicles. The only warning I was given was right before the engine failed the car said "hybrid system failure, do not drive"

I had went out of town and when driving back home the car start stalling and I pulled over to the side of the road. I tried to start it again but it wouldn’t start. After waiting on the side of the road for two hours I got the car pulled to a car shop. After they checked it the man told me that my motor was gone and I would have to get another one. I had called the Kia place about the recalls 3 weeks earlier and I haven’t heard back from them.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The vehicle was previously serviced at the dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle would not accelerate above 35 MPH. Additionally, the vehicle inadvertently shifted into limp mode. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Several areas on my vehicle the paint is chipping in large chunks. The paint is not fading but coming off. I enquired to the dealership about this years ago but they said it was not in warranty for that anymore. The only reason im enquiring about it now is because I see many vehicles (kia optima in pearl white) on the road with the similar issue as me.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started to stall. The check engine, oil, and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over safely to the side of the road. While attempting to restart, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to her residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 195,000.

Kia started losing power on freeway was able to pull over then it died and wouldn’t start back up motor seized up battery is good electrical is good it’s a push start and engine won’t crank or turn over or nothing

The shifter cable came off during the car was on motion in my driveway..and unable to put it in PARK. My driveway has quite inclining uphill.. imagine if the car would roll back .. or simply the fact it worries me if that could happen somewhere away i would totally get stranded.. upon google i was able to confirm that KIA using the cheap parts and this happened to others also.. My boyfriend was able open gear console cover and snapped the cable ring back ...KIA should replace this part ASAP. BTW .. this was the second time it happened within a year

Engine replaced under the recall campaign after failure and have had issues since with the car wanting to start. Turns over several times before finally getting it to start. Fuel pump and fuel line replaced out of pocket as well as a sensor out of pocket and still having the same issues intermittently then today while driving approximately 35 to 40 MPH the car just shuts off in the middle of the highway in morning traffic and almost caused an accident, without warning. Still took several times to crank before car finally restarted and made it maybe 4 miles before shutting off again while driving without warning and then smelled as if something was burning. Car has had scheduled maintenance as advised by KIA for warranty on motor but if something is not done about all of these same complaints then someone is going to get killed. Very unsafe!

2012 Kia Optima Engine oil lights flickers on slowing .. I have checked the oil and the Filter they look excellent and to the correct level.

Paint keeps chipping and the car bounces I have got it fixed twice and it’s still doing the same thing

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently in the middle of the highway. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of the Police Officers. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 248,000.

My car was put down for a recall awhile back i took it to kia because i was recently have a problem with it so i thought it could be the recall, but it wasn’t i told them since my car has already been there 2 weeks can they just replace the recalled engine they said no they wouldn’t do it unless my car actually malfunctions so they put a knock sensor and updated my vehicle ever since then i’ve been having problems and my car sometimes on the high way will not accelerate and will stall and jerk badly which is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS also recently my car is malfunctioning error “ old codes “ which didn’t make sense to me or the repair service people at KIA

The anti lick brake symbol is showing on my dash board this has happened for about 4 weeks

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the steering wheel made clicking sounds whenever turned. The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

A few months ago the paint on my car begin to bubble, chip, and peel away. The paint color is Snow white and I have been informed of and read a lot about de-lamination occurring in the pearl and snow white paint of some Kia models. The car has not been involved any accidents and is in great condition aside from the unknown cause of the paint chipping.

Was driving on freeway, at 75 mph when the engine seized with no warning

Knocking on the engine began and car stopped suddenly. Smoke started coming out of the engine bay and also from the vents inside. Severe engine knocking when accelerating. Smoke all over inside detected and very scary situation arose.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel in either direction, the steering wheel seized in either direction with the electric power steering warning light illuminated. The contact had initially taken the vehicle to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. After multiple repeated failures, the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer and the mechanic duplicated the failure. The vehicle was diagnosed with a defective steering column. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but there were no recalls on his vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

My engine failed. Dick Withams here in Waterloo, IA was paid by Kia to replace engine for free due to my warranty. Dick Withams rushed the process and allowed me back on the road with no coolant plug( which was detected immediately) I returned the car and Dick Withams attached a plug so my coolant wouldn't spill over on the ground. Every time I pressed my brakes THERE WAS A HORRIBLE SOUND LIKE MY DRIVE AXIAL WAS NOT PUT TOGETHER WHEN Putting the engine back. Kia is allowing Mechanics to fix these recalls of MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES FOR myself and my family. I then returned vehicle to Cedar Falls, IA Dick Withams to fix issue Friday morning. They have yet to communicate anything with me. Now I'm just without a vehicle even though it's covered under warranty. It should be against the law for the car dealership to return a recalled engine without driving the car to see if they rushed the service and failed to put vehicle back together CORRECTLY.

Every time i stop at a light my car starts to shake and vibrate. Now the check engine is on and my car is making weird noises, going at higher speeds

Driving to work on I40 West during traffic hour which was about 7:50am my car just started loosing speed and I had to pull off on the left side of the road. Car did not turn back on. Had my car towed to the mechanic and he states it was the engine. Kia replaced my engine not even 3yrs ago because of a recall.

While driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle produced a grinding noise then lurched a few times every couple of minutes and then the engine shut down. Luckily I was able to safely coast to a stop while going downhill and stop the vehicle at the side of the road. Turned the engine off, waited one minute, then pushed ignition button. Hybrid system started but engine did not. Shifted to Drive, pressed accelerator, but vehicle would not proceed. Turned everything off and waited five minutes. Pushed ignition button and hybrid system and engine started and shifted to drive. Vehicle would drive at underpowered speed and was able to drive 2 miles home at 35 mph. As I drove into driveway, the engine shutdown again. This occurred just a few hours ago, so it has not been serviced by anyone.

I was driving on the highway and suddenly lost acceleration, the check engine light began flashing. The car went into limp mode. I got it to an auto parts store and had them put it on the scanner. It is showing code P1326. I have it scheduled to be assessed at Kia. Research on this code with the Kia says, it could need a system update, knock sensor replaced, or the engine replaced. Kia does have a recall out for this issue but my car doesn’t currently fall under the recall. My car has always been mechanically maintained at appropriate intervals by Kia. This is a problem.

My car lost power going 70mph and the engine light came on. I had it scanned and the code was P1326. Now my car will not move. This was a reported recall on Kia Optima from years 2011-2014. My car is a 2012 Kia Optima. I called dealership and they said my VIN is not under this recall but I am having the same exact problem as the recall reported in 2018.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the passenger’s side door opened inadvertently. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the latches needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 102,301.

Sterring has become loose and makes noise when sterring wheel is moved back and forth

My car keeps overheating when left in park and at an idle state. This problem occurs everytime I am in park at idle for more than 4 min. This has occured since the time I have purchased the vehicle.

My wife had been complaining that while driving 2011 optima hybrid at highway speeds the car would suddenly lose power and slow to 30 or 40 mph while the pedal is floored. Took it to the dealer who said we needed a new battery which did not solve the problem. 2nd time came with a warning on the dash to check hybrid system, back at the dealer they said it appears to be some special fuse in the trunk ($300)…problem sill persist however this time the car completely shut down on the road, dash was lit up like a Christmas tree. Had to get it towed. Now dealer says its the HPCU and that’s going to run almost $6000. Dealer was willing to install a used one i got on EBay, they charged $1300 for the install they tell me the problem still exists.

The brake light stays on.. causing the battery to drain. Even the vehicle is completely stopped / ignition off.

I was coming home from work doing around 75 mph on cruise control when all of the sudden the car jerked violently and lost all power, the car behind me would’ve rear ended me if they weren’t paying attention. I just hold the throttle down to get home, misfiring terribly, and the best way I can describe, it smelled hot if that makes sense. I had it looked at and was told it doesn’t have compression in one of the cylinders and that it wasn’t covered under warranty or recall. So now I’m paying for a car that I can’t drive.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 MPH, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel was stiff and making clicking sounds. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was waiting to speak to a representative. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to contact the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 50 mph when a noise coming from the engine compartment was heard and saw smoke emitting from the engine compartment. The contact pulled over and upon investigation, a fire was underneath the engine compartment. The contact waited until the fire was extinguished naturally and the fire department was not called. The contact stated the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to a local mechanic where it was confirmed that the engine caught fire and was repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with, NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (ENGINE) however the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000

I was driving down the street and smelt somethinf burning and the car lost power and was driving slow I pulled over and it smelled like burent. Now the car has no power, wont charge the hybrid battery and has a load knockinf noise

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving at 30 - 35 mph, the vehicle loss motive power without warning. The oil warning light was first illuminated then all of the warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road. The contact tried to restart the vehicle when she detected a smoke odor and saw there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact exited the vehicle with her daughter. The contact then opened the hood and saw that the engine had caught fire. The contact had a friend from nearby come help to put out the fire with water. No medical attention was received. No police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired and remained on the side of the road. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 203,000.

Car stalls when it’s hot outside and while using the A/C

My pulley and belt went bad but still my engine making noises and my mechanic said it sounds like bearings are loose in my engine.

I was at a stop sign when my car shut off. Now it won't start. Took it in to check it out and found out that the motor seized up. I know that there is a recall on the engine for the same problem on other models. Not safe to be driving the cars. Could cause a major accident resulting in possible loss of lives. This model needs to be recalled before this happens to anyone else.

Brake pedal stopper breaking apart causing the ESC indicator to come on and loosing acceleration while driving. I contacted dealer and no recall on th.is issue.

While driving at the speed limit on July 9th 2021 my kia optima started smoking within a minute of us pulling over the front of the car was on fire

I purchased 2012 kia optima hybrid june 14, 2021. 1 week after I purchased vehicle i started to hear "clicking noise" & felt a "bump" each time I moved steering wheel slightly left or right. example moving steering wheel to change lanes, turning vehicle left or right, and moving steering wheel when straightening out car when parking. As of 7/6/2021 "clicking noise" in steering wheel/steering column is louder.

Driving at 60 mph on the highway engine seized up with no warning what so ever no engine light or oil light. Once vehicle stopped checked oil and it was almost empty. No warning of oil pressure or oil low. Vehicle always inspected an oil change done on time. Can't find recall on my vin but other 2012 models had a recall for this exact reason. I was almost hit by a semi when the vehicle just died with no warning at all and everything locked up. Never had 1 issue with this vehicle until now. And I am worried kia will not fix it when clearly other optimas of the same year had the same issue. I can't understand why when vin search it doesn't show this recall. It's all over the internet.

MY VIN IS [XXX] ITS A 2012 KIA OPITMA HYBRID 2.4L AND I SEE IT HAS THESE RECALLS ON IT NEEED TO KNOW WHAT I CAN DO ABOUT IT MY NUMBER IS [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

While in cruise control hitting the breaks resulted in the car not wanting to slow down or stop. Had to go off road inorder to not hit vehicles in front of me. I turned off ABS and this issue isn't there. I have no warnings for my ABS system and this doesn't happen often. However it's getting worse now this is the worse it has ever been.

I driving to park,I heard a loud popping noise and i them preceeded to pull out the driveway and al’s 5 minutes in the drive the KIA hybrid warning system came on and then told me to park the ending at the nearest location to park. the car started smoking real lot bad and me and my kid exited the vehicle because of all the smoke. the oil was everywhere on the car, on the motor, leaking out of the car.i then got car towed back home

Oil changed every 3000 miles. Driving to work the other day check engine light came on. Car went into limp mode. Pulled code and it was for rod bearings. Supposedly rod bearings had been repaired by recall before. Car only has 91,000 miles on it. So shouldn't need another set of rod bearings if previously replaced.